The Trends and Prospects of Research on Caenorhabditis elegans in the Aging Area: a Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis

Aging is a complex biological phenomenon characterized by the progressive deterioration of physiological functions and increased vulnerability to age-associated diseases. At the cellular level, this process is exemplified by senescence, in which cells experience an irreversible halt in division and enter a state of permanent growth arrest, without progressing to apoptosis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), with a short lifespan and well-characterized genetics, is a powerful model for deciphering the molecular basis of aging. Nevertheless, a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of research at the intersection of C. elegans and aging is still lacking. Here, we present a protocol to retrieve records from the Web of Science Core Collection, perform data processing, and conduct reproducible bibliometric visualization using CiteSpace, Bibliometrix (R), VOSviewer, and Pajek, aiming to map the knowledge structure and identify emerging trends in C. elegans aging research. Using 6,117 articles published from 1970 through June 5, 2025, we analyzed country and institutional contributions, authorship, journal impact, citation patterns, and thematic evolution. The dataset comprised 6,117 records from 19,864 authors across 3,798 institutes in 91 countries. Annual publications increased from 312 in 2020 to 341 in 2021 and remained high thereafter. The United States led global output, followed by China, Germany, and the United Kingdom, with collaboration networks concentrated among these countries. The University of California system ranked first in productivity, while the Chinese Academy of Sciences ranked third. Topic evolution indicated a shift from foundational studies of insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling (IIS) pathways and stress responses toward emerging themes such as thermal control and mitophagy in C. elegans aging models. Overall, this protocol enables transparent, updatable bibliometric analyses and supports future studies of key directions, including caloric restriction and mitophagy.